Broken Wings
by amberluvron
Summary: Zim falls in love with Gaz and promises to take her away from her disgusting world and back to Irk where she can pick up the pieces of her shattered life.
1. Save me

She had spent so long building up a wall around her to hide all her true emotions. Hidden behind a mask created from pure hate. It had taken her so long to build up this wall, for she knew that emotions only caused trouble. Nervousness creates a person to eventually breakdown, happiness results in pain, love creates heartache, and joy gives painful sores from hitting your head on the ceiling when you jump up and down. One day someone would take that wall and knock it down, she just never knew that day would be so soon.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was a cold night in November, icy winter winds whipping at uncovered faces causing children to shiver and cling to their parents. Gaz didn't cling to anyone, she didn't need to, her heart was so much colder than the violent weather.

She sat in her bedroom, wearing a large black sweater that allowed her to bury deep into the fabric, her diary was open and she was writing furiously, that's when she heard the shouts, they were climbing up her stairs escalating in volume. She had to go and investigate.

Upon entering the small cramped living room she discovered a violent sight. Dib was standing up smiling a joyful smile and watching carefully as Professor Membrane dragged a small green boy into the room. It was Zim.

Zim was truly a mess, his contacts and wig were absent, and exposing him for the alien he was born as. She had never noticed until now how frail Zim really was, he had always seemed so powerful and arrogant, and it was as if he really was ruler of the world. Seeing him this way shocked her, his wrists were small and bony as they trembled with fright inside handcuffs, his skin was bruised, and his pack was barely hanging on by one wire. If he fell Professor would simply kick him until he was forced to stand and walk again.

"I told you Gaz," Dib shouted to her as they passed by on their way to the basement, "He really is a monster."

But in these circumstances Zim hardly looked like a monster, as his pain-filled ruby red eyes glanced at her, she couldn't help thinking that he was simply someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, much like herself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That night Gaz was asked to deliver Zim's dinner down to the basement where they were keeping him captive. At first she was angry with being interrupted form her game to perform such an annoying task, but something she had seen in Zim's eyes earlier when he looked at her made her stop and think, maybe it would be a good chance to talk to him.

As she proceeded into the dark basement she was shocked to see the state of affairs that was sprawled in front of her. Zim lay in a large box, much like the one she was in when all she could taste was pork, he was simply staring at her trembling as she approached with a plate of earth food. Zim withered at the mere piece of pizza lying next to a small bowl of tomato soup.

"Am I supposed to eat that," Zim asked, he glanced at the pizza with disgust.

"Yea," Gaz said in a cold voice, "You do have to eat don't you?"

"Yes," Zim countered in just as cold a voice, "But not that horrible earth food. You can have it if you want."

Gaz gave him a small half smile and pulled a chair over to the tank, sitting down and eating the slice of pizza.

"Do you mind," Zim asked, one eye getting larger than the other.

"No," Gaz said in a simple voice.

"Ok," Zim said getting annoyed, "Why are you here?"

Gaz sighed and pushed the pizza away, staring intently at the small alien in the tank.

"I'm sorry," Gaz said simply.

"About what," Zim asked, confusion filling his voice.

"I could have tried to stop them," Gaz said quietly, "But I just sat and watched."

Zim shrugged and then looked at her in a sad way.

"I think I know what your problem is," He said sadly.

"I don't have a problem," Gaz said, the wall slowly building back to protect her.

"There you go again," Zim said in an exasperated voice, "You're always defending yourself, just let things go sometimes."

"Look," Gaz said in a strained voice, "You live your life and I'll live mine."

"You know Gaz," Zim said smiling, "I've always wished you would be my girlfriend."

Gaz suppressed a smile, keeping her face blank.

"Yea Zim," Gaz said angrily, pulling the pizza back, "Real funny."

"It's true though."

Gaz stopped eating for a second and looked at him with an innocent expression.

"You mean it," Gaz said, trying to make her voice sound as blank as possible.

Zim nodded and leaned back in his chair, smiling.

"I know you hate this place, this planet, I could take you to a place far away," Zim said, his ruby eyes challenging Gaz, "I could show you some beautiful things. What do you say, Gazzy?"

Gaz nearly choked on her pizza.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about breaking out of this cell and flying away with you back to Irk to show you a place that you could never possibly imagine."

"Why don't you break out," Gaz said in a challenging voice, "Then we'll talk about it."

"Is that a yes," Zim asked with a voice full of hope.

"That's a maybe."

Smiling Gaz collected her dishes and proceeded up the stairs back to her room, but before she could make it halfway up she was halted by Zim's voice.

"I'm not joking," Zim said in a confident voice, "I could show you beautiful things beyond you wildest dream. You could fly and leave this place you hate so much behind."

Gaz didn't respond, after all Zim was probably just feeling angry that Dib finally caught him, and he was saying the one thing he knew would hurt Dib the most. I mean if confessing love to his sister and running away with her to his planet wasn't enough to spite Dib, what was?

Gaz didn't realize this, but soon she would fly with him far away and that would not only be the end of her trouble, but the beginning as well.


	2. Midnight Flight

Gaz lay in bed that night, breathing softly, and slowly, in deep sleep. Suddenly she woke with a start, she didn't know why but she felt like someone was in her room.

"Your pretty when you sleep," A soft voice penetrated her thoughts.

She screamed loudly but in a second a hand had covered her mouth.

"Don't worry Gaz," The voice said softly, "It's just me, Zim. I'm not gonna hurt you."

**_Turn on channel seven at a quarter to eight  
You see the same damn thing it's just a different day and  
No one really knows why this is happening  
But it's happening_**

Zim let go of her mouth and stepped away slowly.

"Zim," Gaz said in an astonished voice, "How did you get out."

Zim pulled a small black sphere out of his pocket and showed it to her.

"Irken bombs," Zim said softly, "Are powerful enough to blow any human force field apart. But at the same time their absolutely silent."

"That's so cool," Gaz said, glad the darkness was hiding her smile.

"Here," He said, handing her the ball, "Take it, you might need it if you're ever in a really dangerous situation. Now let's go, I got Gir to bring the cruiser from my base."

"Wait," Gaz said in a powerful voice, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Look, stink beast," Zim said in his old arrogant tone, "You hate this place, at least give my home planet a chance."

"Zim, you act like this is an easy decision to just pick up and leave my planet."

"I left mine, if I can do it, so can you."

This left Gaz to think for a minute.

"I love you Gaz."

_**And everywhere you go it's just a different place  
you get the same dark feeling  
See the same sad faces  
No one really cares that this is happening**_

Those words broke her; she sighed loudly and stepped out of bed.

"Can I sleep on the ship," Gaz said in a tired voice.

Zim smiled and handed her a suitcase.

"I promise Gaz," Zim said quietly as he moved to the door, "This will be the best decision you ever made  
**_We come into this world  
And we all are the same  
In that moment there's no one to blame_**

Gaz shuffled around the room, packing few things besides her clothes. As she walked by her bedside table she saw a picture of the four members of her family at a picnic. This picture was taken long before her mother died, and she saw the fresh face of a 35 year old woman. She had long violet hair and a goofy smile on her face as she cradled baby Gaz in her arms. Dib was sitting in the bushes nearby with a pair of binoculars, probably looking for Bigfoot and her Dad was a floating head on a monitor screen, proudly looking over his family. After mom died it all fell apart, Dib was deemed crazy, Gaz was labeled useless, and their father was showing up for dinner less and less often.

"Maybe Zim has the right idea; maybe I should forget about everything and go away"

Taking a deep breath she turned the picture around so she couldn't see it, and walked out the door, not bothering to look back.

**_But the world is black  
And hearts are cold  
And there's no hope  
That's what we're told_**

When Zim saw her approaching the ship, he smiled widely. His heart bursting with joy, he would do everything in his power to make sure she was happy. She opened the door and threw her bag into the back, and then she sat down next to Zim.

"You ready to go," He asked her in a happy voice.

She nodded keeping a blank expression on her face, as she told herself not to look back, the ship took off into space.

**_  
_**

_**But the world is black  
And we can't go back  
It won't be the same  
Forever changed  
By the things we say, say  
**_

It had been hours and Gaz was still unable to fall asleep. She couldn't help thinking about her family, and how Dib would wake up in the morning and come into her room to rant to her about Zim being an alien and she wouldn't be there. She had forgotten to even leave a note, but maybe it was better that way, maybe it was better if no one ever knew what had happened to her.

_**  
Living in this place it's always been this way  
There's no one doing nothing so there's nothing changed  
And I can't live when this world just keeps dying  
It's dying  
**_

"You'll love Irk," Zim said with a big smile on his face.

"Do you think they'll love me," Gaz asked with uncertainty in her voice.

"Well," Zim said thinking a minute, "You are foreign to them."

"I've been foreign to everyone on earth for a long time," Gaz said holding back tears, "I can deal with it just a little bit longer."

_**People always tell me this is part of the plan  
That God's got everybody in his hands  
But I can only pray that God is listening  
Is he listening?  
**_

That's exactly what she wondered, was god watching them all with a small smile on his face, pleased with his creations. Or was he sitting up in heaven crying over a world that had been lost so long ago.  
**_  
_**

_**We're living in this world  
Growing colder everyday  
Nothing can stay perfect now I say  
  
**_

It was if everything that she had though beautiful when she was younger was gone. Zim had taken their place, strong and confident he stood like an anchor in her world of uncertainty.

_**But the world is black  
And hearts are cold  
And there's no hope  
That's what we're told**_

She hoped this new planet was as good as he said, she hoped that he had thought this all through.

_**  
And we can't go back  
It won't be the same  
Forever changed  
By the things we say, say, say  
  
**_

"we can get married," Zim said suddenly.

Gaz nearly choked.

"Zim," Gaz said, "are you sure that's a good idea, were really young. Like unnaturally young."

"Techincally," Zim said with a small smile, "I'm 184 years old."

Gaz gave him the first laugh she had in years.

**_We come into this world  
And we all are the same  
And in that moment there's no one to blame  
But we're living in this world  
Growing colder everyday  
Nothing can stay perfect now I say  
_**

We are all the same, we are all the same kind of person. Most people believe they are an individual but we are all exactly the same.

_**The world is black  
And hearts are cold  
There's no hope  
That's what we're told  
And we can't go back  
(We can't go back)  
It won't be the same  
(It won't be the same)  
Forever changed  
(What will ever change)  
By the things we say, say, say  
  
**_

The world is black........

_**Turn on channel seven at a quarter to eight  
You see the same damn thing it's just a different day  
And no one really knows why this is happening**_


	3. A suscipicous welcome

Her dreams that night were filled with trouble, an unknown terror chasing her to a dead end. She couldn't escape this time and there was no one there to help her. Somehow she was unable to feel bad for herself. She knew this was all her own fault.

* * *

Gaz awoke to Zim shaking her shoulder vigorously. As she slowly opened her eyes she was more than a little bit annoyed. 

"What is it Zim," She asked.

"Look," He responded quietly pointing out the window on her side of the ship.

She gasped; it really was as beautiful as he had told her it was. The planet was enormous and was a deep color of red. Like a giant blood spill. It was surrounded by clouds of red gas that seemed to sparkle and shimmer with pure energy.

Zim simply smiled, he knew what she was thinking and felt there was no need for words right now.

Slowly, the ship lowered into the sparkly red clouds around the planet and Gaz found she was unable to see anything through the bright shine of thousands of stars that had exploded in this gas. Zim suddenly started going into hyper speed. His hands were flying over the dashboard, pushing buttons and pulling levers at light speed.

It seemed like hours until they were able to dock onto the planets surface. Gaz had never experienced a feeling so awkward and humbling as looking out a window and knowing that no one outside could possibly look even remotely like you. She waited until Zim stepped out of the ship and came around to open the doors for her. The ship slowly decompressed and she felt herself starting to adjust to the sweltering hot climate of the planet's surface.

"Maybe black wasn't the best choice," She mumbled to herself as she stepped out into the sun.

Glancing around she attempted to see how this new strange planet was similar to earth. It seemed like a social place, petite Irken children were running through the streets screaming to their friends and parents to come outside; after all it was such a nice day. Some older Irkens, they must have been her age, or maybe they were really all 184 years old as well. The girls were tall and elegant, with curly antennae and eyes from silver to purple to blue. The boys were shorter and seemed to resemble Zim except they were not wearing his invader uniforms.

"ZIM, ZIM," came a shrieking voice from the crowd of teenagers.

A shorter girl with fluorescent pink eyes emerged from her group of friends. Under her arm she was holding a small circular metal disk.

"ITS SO GOOD TO SEE YOU," She screamed as she flung her arms around his neck.

"Mal," He said calmly returning the hug, "You don't have to yell, I'm right here."

She finally released herself from him and slowly turned to Gaz.

"Who's this," She asked slowly, eyeing Gaz carefully.

"This is Gaz," Zim replied, "She's from Earth."

Mal simply gave her a small smile as a glint went through her eyes. The glint didn't leave it stayed there as she shook her hand and then invited them to dinner at her house that night as a welcome.

Malwas dangerous, but she was just the beginning.


End file.
